The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing an absorbent article in the form of a pants-type diaper or a sanitary panty, beginning with a flat diaper blank which comprises an elongated absorbent body enclosed between two casing sheets which at opposing front and rear end parts of the absorbent body have side parts which extend laterally beyond the absorbent body on both sides thereof, said method comprising the step of folding the blank about a transverse axis so that the end edges of said side parts will lie edge-to-edge. The invention also relates to articles manufactured in accordance with the method.
So-called all-in-one diapers are being replaced to an ever greater extent with pants-type diapers, or so-called training pants, for slightly older diaper-wearing children. Pants-type diapers have a number of good features. They fit well on the wearer, they are easy to put on and take off with the child in a standing position, they sit firmly in place after having been put onto a child, and conform to the anatomy of the child as the child moves, in a comfortable fashion. Moreover, pants-type diapers resemble conventional underpants and it is easy to understand how they shall be used, thereby in many instances enabling somewhat older diaper-wearing children to perform themselves the simple operations required in putting on the pant diaper. However, pants-type diapers, or training pants, also have certain drawbacks. They are difficult to change while the child is lying on his/her back and, when changing the pant diaper, require any garment that is worn on top of the pant diaper to be removed completely. Neither can a used pants-type diaper be rolled-up and sealed in the same manner as an all-in-one diaper. In addition, a dirty pant diaper which contains feces is liable to soil the wearer when removing the pant diaper.